Personal lubes can add a pleasurably comfortable touch to sexual play

Personal Lubrications heighten the sensuality of touch and movement and should be a part of all sexual activities. They create a much more pleasurable and comfortable glide. Lubes can be used with or without condom.

Although the vagina is able to do a wonderful job of lubricating itself, there are occasions when some help from manufactured lubes maybe required. There are many women who don't produce enough self-lubrication even when highly aroused, and those who usually do, may not do so all the time due to a verity of reasons:

• medication
• stress
• birth control pills

Adding a quality lube to your sexual play will help ease penetration and create smooth gliding during love making and masturbation with sex toys. The natural vaginal lubrication of some women for whatever reason may not always be thick or viscous enough for comfortable sexual activity. Other women may require lots of foreplay before they are lubricated enough with the vagina's natural lubrication. Although sometimes a little bit of saliva may help things along, a dab of the right lube will add the perfect amount of lubrication, giving the natural lubrication of the vagina a chance to catch up.

Lubrications can be used even if natural lubrication is not a problem. Lubes add a wonderful sensation to any sexual play and make condoms much more reliable (dryness can cause a condom to break). Proper use of a personal lubricant will greatly decrease the chance of causing pain or injury due to friction and will make the sexual act much more pleasurable. So next time create a wonderfully comfortable and pleasurable feeling for both you and your partner with a bit of lube.

Personal lubricants may be the most unsung sex toy. Although they can be used to solve a sexual problem, like vaginal dryness, personal lubricants shouldn't only be used when you need them.

Using the right personal lubricant can:

• enhance and intensify your sexual sensation (for solo or partner sexual use).
• change the way your sexual experience feels.
• make your sexual experience last longer.
• make safer sex safer by reducing the chances that a condom will break.
• eliminate pain that's associated with sexual intercourse that may occur due to vaginal dryness.
• be very important for sex toy use and exploring anal sex.

and always remember - since the anus does not produce any lubrications of it's own, it is very important that a lubricate be used during any type of anal play.

Since all lubrications are not created equal, researching them before buying one is a very good idea. Before purchasing a lube always ask how you will be using it and on what sex toys you might be using it on. The wrong lube can lead to toy erosion, stains or even vaginal irritation. Be sure to read the lube label and make sure it is compatible with whatever you what to use it on.

What kind of lube do you want to use? A water based or silicone based personal lubricant? They are both safe to use with condoms, and many of the products, and all of the ingredients are FDA approved. The main difference between the two are:

Water based lubricants:

• flush out of and off the body much easier than silicone lubes.
• are more available then silicone.
• come in flavored and warming variations.
• aren't as expensive as silicone.

Silicone based lubricants:

• they contain no water, so they don't dry up or evaporate.
• they do rquire soap and water to remove from the skin.
• they do not absorb into the skin.
• they are more expensive then water based however require less.

A closer look at the types of Lubricants:

Water-Based: water-based lubes are considered to be the safest all-purpose lubrication. However some women do find that water-based lubes that contain glycerin or sugar can cause yeast infections, especially if they're prone to them. This is the case with most flavored lubes which are intended for external use only and should not be used in the vagina or anus. Water-based lubes are condom compatible and are safe to use with all sex toys. If your water-based lubricant feels as though it's drying out, just add a bit of water, saliva or more lube to re-activate it's slippery properties.

There are several types of water-based lubricants, here are just a few:

• flavored
• unflavored
• stimulating
• warming

The kind chosen is a matter of personal preference. Some people are allergic to the glycerin that's in some lubes. If you are, be sure to use a lubricant that is glycerin free.

Silicone-Based: silicone lubes are a newer form of lubrication and most people say they are the best lubes on the market. They are safe to use with all latex products. A dab goes a long way and it won't dry up until you wipe it off. They last much longer then water-based lubes are never sticky and keep their slick silky feeling. Silicone lubricants are safe for vaginal and condom use. They are also waterproof and can be used in the hot tub, shower, bath, pool or any other body of water.

Some women can become irritated if the silicone lube is left on too long and they can however be harder to remove.

They however CANNOT BE USED WITH SILICONE SEX TOYS!! Never use them on Cyberskin, Futurotic, NeoSkin, Silicone or EuroSkin. The silicone in the lube will break down your silicone sex toy and eventually destroy it.

Oil/Petroleum Based: These lubes are no longer recommended as a lube for safer sex. Although you'll probably not see any oil or petroleum based products being sold as lubricants now a days, this also includes such things as vasolene or baby oil. Lubricants made with these products should never be used vaginally because they leave a coating on the rectum and vagina that trap all types of bacteria causing yeast infections and can cause other serious problems.

They also are not compatible with latex and not at all safe to use with latex condoms or latex sex toys because they will destroy them. They should also not be used with dams, gloves or any latex safer-sex products, diaphragms or cervical caps because they can reduce their effectiveness. Massage oils can also damage latex products.

Oil based lubes however can be used during males masturbating as a way to avoid chafing or to simply try something new.

Are you concerned about any negative or allergic reaction to using a personal lubricant or long-term health concerns with using a personal lubricant?

Unfortunately, there's not really any research on personal lubricants and allergic reactions or health risks. But there is information about the ingredients, and over the years, anecdotal concerns have been identified with using some lubricants. These concerns usually fall into these four categories:

• personal lubricants and yeast infections. Although there really is no research that shows that personal lubes can cause yeast infections, most water based lubricants do contain glycerin, and anyone who is prone to yeast infections should avoid these products.
• personal lubricants and allergic reactions.People can have a reaction to any of the ingredients in a lubricant. be sure to always read the ingredient before using any lubricant (and if you’re shopping on line only buy from a site that lists the ingredients). One common ingredient in personal lubes that can cause an allergic reaction is the paraben preservative.
• personal lubricants and long-term health concerns.There are two studies that have been done in the past five years that have raised concerns over the potential long-term impact of parabens, which are commonly used in many water based lubricants. Although there is not enough research to prove anything, if you are concerned about having a reaction and any long term health effects you may want to read more.
• using a personal lubricants while trying to conceive.Although many physicians aren’t even aware of it, there are some commercial lubes that harm sperm and can effect trying to have a baby. This however does not in any way mean that personal lubricant can be used or should be used as a form of birth control, however if you’re trying to conceive, you should be sure to use a lubricant that won’t cause harm to sperm.

Anal Lubrication: The anus is not self lubricating. Keep this in mind when choosing an anal lube. Some contain benzocaine which is a local anesthetic and will gently numb the anal area to make anal sex more comfortable and easier. Also keep in mind that the flavored anal lubes that contain bezocaine will numb your mouth so oral sex is not recommend with these lubes.

Remember as a precaution especially if you have sensitive skin, always test a small amount of the lube on your inner arm or thigh the day before to make sure you're not allergic.

PID Information! (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease): Anything that goes into the anal area should never ever be inserted into the vagina without being thoroughly washed first. It is best to can use a condom for anal use and remove it or replace it before vaginal use. Be sure to do the same with any sex toys also or purchase one sex toy for the anus and a different one for the vagina.

This is because the normal, healthy bacteria present in the rectum is not compatible with the normal, healthy bacteria in the vagina. Mixing the two will cause PID which can be a very serious disease.

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